Parents Raise Alarm Over Infrastructure and Sanitation Challenges at Ngcangcana JP School

Parents Raise Alarm Over Infrastructure and Sanitation Challenges at Ngcangcana JP School. Learning conditions at Ngcangcana Junior Primary School in Kavango East have raised concern after parents reported shortages of classrooms, furniture, and sanitation facilities affecting daily teaching and learning.

Parents say some learners are forced to sit on broken chairs or share limited desks, while water shortages and the lack of toilets continue to disrupt the school environment.

The school has an enrolment of about 265 learners from Grades 1 to 7, taught by eight teachers, a situation parents describe as inadequate for the size of the school.

Parents also raised concern about the continued absence of the school principal, saying the lack of leadership has contributed to unresolved challenges at the school.Ingrid Ngunda, a parent, said the conditions negatively affect learners’ health, dignity, and academic performance, and called on the Ministry of Education to intervene urgently.

Kavango East Director of Education Christine Shilima confirmed that the school was originally designed to accommodate Grades 1 to 3 only.

She explained that increased enrolment over time resulted in the introduction of higher grades without corresponding improvements to classrooms, furniture, or sanitation facilities.She added that all public schools receive school grants intended for minor maintenance, but said the use of those funds depends on how they are managed.

According to Shilima, while some principals use the grants effectively, others fail to address basic needs despite the availability of funding.Parents are now appealing for urgent intervention to improve infrastructure, staffing, and sanitation, saying learners deserve a safe and dignified learning environment.

They have called on education authorities to assess the situation, provide adequate resources, and ensure that teaching conditions meet acceptable standards.

The concerns highlight ongoing challenges faced by schools experiencing growth without matching infrastructure development in the region. No timeline for intervention was provided at the time of reporting yet.